Shaking off ‘rust’
- Updated: March 6, 2025
After near-two-week break between games, Alexandria catches fire at the plate late, downs visiting Oxford 11-4.
By Joe Medley
East Alabama Sports Today
ALEXANDRIA — Brian Hess didn’t want nearly two weeks between Alexandria’s first softball game and its next one, and the veteran coach saw “rust” against Oxford on Thursday.
The Valley Cubs did find their shine, however.
Allyssa Hunt’s two-run home run highlighted a late-surge, and Alexandria topped visiting Oxford 11-4 in the Valley Cubs’ home opener.
The game came 13 days after Alexandria opened the season with a 7-6 loss at Pell City on Feb. 21. The long break between games wasn’t Hess’ preference.
Alexandria’s girls’ basketball team played into the Northeast Regional, and several of the same girls play softball.
“We went deep in basketball, and I knew we had a good shot at doing that,” he said. “I kind of backed everything up, but I never could get anybody to fill in from that first game, from last week to this game, so we were rusty.
“The only way to get the rust out is play.”
Alexandria’s time between games included live-arm practices, featuring a visit from former Valley Cubs’ standout and Class 5A player of the year Rylee Gattis. Now playing for Shorter University, she visited during her spring break and pitched against her alma mater.
Gattis’ reputation preceded her. Hunt played against her before transferring from Cleburne County and recalled the experience well.
“I played one game against, and I mean, she shoved,” Hunt said. “One of the best pitchers I faced, especially as a young one on varsity.”
The practice against Gattis went better than expected, Hunt said.
“A lot of the girls were a little nervous, but we actually did pretty well,” Hunt said. “I think it gave a couple of us a little confidence.”
Rust gave way to confidence as Alexandria put up a five-run fourth inning to break open a game Oxford led 4–3. The rally featured Charlee Parris’ RBI single, Pressley Slaton’s RBI double and Hunt’s two-run home run to left field to make it 8-4.
Alexandria added three runs in the fifth, including Parris’ RBI double and Kaden Pritchett’s two-run single.
Parris finished 3-for-4 with two RBIs and three runs, and Hunt was 2-for-4 with two runs and twi RBIs. Brenlee Sparks went 2-for-4 with a triple, a run and an RBI.
Slaton got the win, allowing three hits and five walks with no earned runs and eight strikeouts.
“This really just felt like the season-opener and the beginning of my last season here,” Hunt said. “There are just times where you just have to step it up and give it everything you’ve got.
“This year, it’s doing it for the team. I want to go out with a purpose, and I want to go out with no regrets that I did everything I could to get us as far as we can go.”
Oxford’s best moments came early. Madison Murphy had an RBI triple in the Yellow Jackets’ two-run first inning and scored Jordyn Alexander’s sacrifice fly.
Haleigh Pruitt scored on a wild pitch in the second inning, and Jayla Jackson scored on a Charleigh Trotter grounder in the third.
Jackson pitched the first five innings, allowing six hits and six runs (none earned) with two strikeouts and two walks.
A team working to replace eight seniors, including college signees Berkley Mooney and Ashlyn Burns, the Yellow Jackets fell to 3-5.
“We’re young, and we made a couple of errors,” Oxford coach Wendy McKibbin said. “We left too many runners on base, but the thing is, they’re staying positive and fighting. They’re competing and not giving up.
“We’ve got to figure out a few things and continue to work. It’s still early in the season. It’s not how you start. It’s how you finish.”
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